Coin separator



A ril 23; 1946. w. L 2,398,955

COIN SEPARATOR Filed March 6, 1945 r ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1345 iJiTE stares rare T Filip 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a coin separator, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, economical, and easily-operated device which will rapidly and automatically separate coins according to size.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved coin separator partially broken away to show the internal construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing the separator in the filling position;

Fig. 3 is a similar cross-section showing the separator in the operating position; and

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 3-4, Fig. 1.

The improved coin separator comprises a cabinet provided with a drawer H at its bottom and a hinged lid 52 at its top A vertical slot is formed in each end wall of the cabinet ii). A rotary shaft it rests in the bottoms of the slots and extends longitudinally through the middle of the cabinet Ill. The slots are filled by means of Sliding plugs I i which maintain the shaft in place therein.

Two end discs i5 are fixedly mounted on the shaft it immediately inside the end walls of the cabinet. The end discs l5 support a plurality of concentric perforated screens forming sieves. In the drawing, two screens are illustrated, an outer screen i8 having perforations I! of such size as to allow dimes to pass through but to retain pennies, nickels, andlarger coins. It is also provided with an inner screen is having suitable sized perforations 59 which will retain nickels and larger coins. allowing pennies and dimes to pass through. Should additional separations be desired, such as quarters, half dollars, and dollars, additional screens can be placed concentrically within each other, supported by the end discs l5.

The inner screen I B is provided with a door 20 hinged thereon at 2|, the screen being cut away inside the door to form a discharge and filling opening extending almost the full length of the screen, as shown in Fig. 1. The door is latched in the closed position by means of a suitable latch 22 which may be operated from a plunger 23 on the exterior of the outer screen It. A spring 24 constantly urges the latch 22 to the locked position onthe door 20.

A second door 25 is hinged at 26 on the outer screen It, the screen being cut away beneath the door to form a discharge opening. A suitable latch button 21 is provided to lock the door 25 in the closed position. The door 25 and its discharge opening are relatively larger both in length and width than the door 20 and its discharge opening. This allows the inner door 20 to be opened outwardly through the opehing of the outer door 25 for filling purposes, as shown in Fig. 2, and for discharge purposes, as shown in broken line in Fig. 3.

An inclined baflie strip 28 surrounds the interior of the cabinet I!) immediately above the drawer I l to direct coins into the drawer.

Let us assume that it is desired to separate a batch of pennies, nickels, and dimes. A suitable filling funnel 29 is inserted into the innermost screen 18 through the openings of the doors 2!] and 25, as shown in Fig. 2, The coins to be separated are dumped into the funnel 29, which places them within the inner screen l8. The funnel is then removed and the doors latched in place. The cabinet door I2 is then closed and the shaft 13 is rotated by means of a suitable hand crank 30. This tumbles the coils within the inner screen, allowing all of the dimes and pennies to work their way through the perforations is into the outer screen, where the tumbling continues until all of the dimes work their way through the perforations l'l into the drawer I I.

The drawer l l is then withdrawn, the dimes are removed therefrom, and the drawer is replaced. The latch 21 is then released and the crank 30 is rotated to bring the door 25 above the drawer H, where it will fall open by gravity and discharge the pennies-into the drawer II. The drawer is then withdrawn and the pennies are removed, after which it is replaced. The latch 22 is then actuated to release the inner door 20 and the crank is revolved to bring the door to a downwardly facing position. This allows the door 20 to fall open through the opening of the door 25 so that the nickels will be discharged through both openings into the drawer l I.

There are many exceedingly complicated and expensive coin separating machines on the market. One of the principal advantages of the present machine, however, is its freedom from complications, and simplicity of operation. Many of the present machines will not operate satisfactorily if the coins are wet, such as when removed from outdoor parking meters and the like. With this invention, however, the separating process is not interfered with by wet or dirty coins.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A coin separator comprising: a plurality of conmeans for rotatably supporting said sieves, said screens having circular perforations, the perforations in an outer screen being smaller than the perforations in the adjacent inner screen; a rectangular discharge opening in the cylindrical wall of each of said screens, of greater area than the largest perforation, said discharge openings being in radial alignment with each other, the discharge opening in an outer screen being larger than the discharge opening in the adjacent inner screen; a hinged door closing each of said openings, the door on an inner screen opening outwardly through the discharge opening of the adjacent outer screen; and means for latching said doors centric, cylindrical, spaced-apart screens with end 15 in t 1 1 position members forming concentric cylindrical sieves,

WILLIAM F. OTOOLE. 

